


Boots

by serenesavagery (windrunnerdreamer)



Series: Adolin Speardancer and Kaladin Kholin [4]
Category: Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Humor, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 14:16:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21199031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windrunnerdreamer/pseuds/serenesavagery
Summary: "You're buying boots. From Liafor." Prince Kaladin said dryly.Adolin grinned. "Well, there's no need to dress up like a heathen just because I'm darkeyed."Kaladin shook his head. "Well, at least someone is having fun with his spheres."If only the boots had lasted longer than a day.





	Boots

**Author's Note:**

> i realized that I should have taken Shallan's eye bias thing more seriously, so I edited it out!   
this whole series is going through a revision by the way

Shallan nearly gasped at the sight of the handsome darkeyed lead rider gracefully riding the horse. 

Ash's eyes, he was a _sculpture_. 

Blond hair peppered with black, eyes as blue as the finest sapphires, a nicely toned body and that _smile_ as he talked to his friends....Stormfather, not to mention the confidence he exuded as he naturally rode the horse...

Shallan was sure she hadn't seen properly- surely such a masterpiece wasn't darkeyed? 

But Ash's eyes, he was beautiful. 

Tyn whacked her head. "I know the guy over there is a feast for sore eyes, he's not that bad looking- but focus." 

Shallan blushed again. Right. 

* * *

Adolin didn't know what to make of the little convoy he was now faced with. 

The red haired woman, pale and freckled, looked _gorgeously exotic_, but she was lighteyed and for all Adolin could flirt, he was sure he wouldn't come across her anyway. 

"Brightness." He greeted respectfuly, nodding. 

The woman standing on the side of the strangely red haired one, then opened her mouth, out of which an earsplittingly loud voice came. 

"Her Highness, Princess-" 

Adolin rubbed his ear. The name was clearly Horneater and the voice was kinda grating on his nerves. Just a little. 

"You are in the presence of royalty, darkeyes!" The crier finished and Adolin rolled his eyes. 

"I'm sure all lighteyes consider themselves as royalty over us puny darkeyes." Adolin muttered to Moash, who had been using a spyglass, and then laughed at Adolin's comment. 

Adolin then turned to face the princess and her crier, raising his eyebrows. 

Which Horneater wore a Vorin dress, anyway? 

"A Horneater princess wearing a Vorin dress. Rock would scream and run for the hills." Adolin remarked, eyeing the princess. 

Moash chuckled. 

The princess's face reddened in anger. "This thing," she said, taking a deep breath before gesturing at her dress. "He is not what you will have a princess wear? He is good for me. You will be respect!" 

Adolin raised his hands in surrender, pasting on a smile that worked on even the most reticent of women. And Kaladin- which helped him get a good tailor. 

Well, fashion was one way of uniting the world- he shouldn't be on his high horse about it. 

"Come now, my lady. I was merely trying to lighten the conversation. My most sincere apologies." Adolin said, getting down from his horse and bowing. 

The princess narrowed her eyes, and somehow, her face reddened even further. She then turned away and held out her safehand. 

Adolin blinked, staring at it. Did she want him to kiss her hand or what? 

"You will give respect. By kissing hand." The princess said, firmly and the crier facepalmed. 

Adolin looked back at Moash and the other two in bewilderment. 

The lady wore a Vorin dress- but asked him to kiss her storming safehand? 

Moash only smirked, sniggering and Adolin glared at him before pasting on another smile and getting down on one knee to kiss her hand. 

(Honestly, he thought Moash at least wouldn't give him such a hard time.) 

"You have respect. This is accepted." The princess said, looking mollified and...dreamy? 

Adolin didn't know, man. 

"'Lin, there are seven wagons. And they're pretty well guarded." Moash then said, his voice now more serious. 

Adolin nodded, eyeing the convoy critically before facing the crier who clearly spoke Alethi. And wasn't crazy. 

The princess was pretty, yes, but she was crazy and Adolin wasn't touching her with a ten foot spear. 

"We're sent to look out for signs of bandits, my lady. Has all been well with your caravan?" Adolin asked, getting himself ready for business. 

"We ran into some bandits three weeks ago. What is it to you?" The crier asked, gesturing over her shoulder with her thumb. 

Adolin inhaled. "We represent the king, good lady. We also happen to be from Brightlord Dalinar Kholin's personal guard." 

The princess froze, but Adolin took no note of it. 

"Brightlord Kholin is investigating the possibility of a far wider range of control around the Shattered Plains. If you were indeed attacked, we would like to know the details." Adolin explained politely. 

Unfortunately for him, politeness didn't work with crazy Horneater princesses. 

"_If _we were attacked? You doubt our word?" 

Adolin narrowed his eyes. Was it his imagination or was the princess...more comfortable with Alethi? 

Eh. Rock spoke good Alethi anyway. 

He shook his head, feeling very annoyed. "No. I don't-" 

"I am offend!" The princess declared, folding her arms. 

"You'd better watch yourself. Her Highness does not like to be offended." The crier said, dryly. 

"How surprising. Neither do we." Adolin snapped, but Moash put a hand on his shoulder from his horse, calming him down. 

"'Lin." He said, in a low voice and Adolin exhaled, calming himself at the sound of his friend's voice. 

Storming lighteyes. 

"Apologies. We have had much troubling information and my...temper is strained. I should not have snapped like that. Do tell me, where did the attack take place? Was it fought off and how many bandits were there?" 

The crier filled him on the details and Adolin listened, feeling ashamed of himself for losing his calm. 

When the crier finished, Adolin nodded. "I'm sorry for your losses. If the chance comes, we'll provide compensation. But you should be safe now- it is only a day and a half's ride from here to the Shattered Plains." He said, smiling slightly to put everyone at ease. And himself. 

"I am curiosity. These animals, they are horses? Yet you are darkeyed. This Kholin...trusts you very well." The princess said, eyeing him the way an axehound eyed a mink. 

Adolin clenched his jaw. What was her storming problem? Women weren't this crazy. Usually. "Yes. Thank you for that very keen observation, princess. Did you notice you are perhaps, too spindly for a royal princess living on shells and horns?" He said calmly, narrowing his eyes. 

A half choked noise that was probably Moash stifling his laughter came from behind him. 

When Adolin turned to look- it was indeed Moash chortling away into his hand. Bastard didn't stop even when Adolin hissed at him. 

"Did you just insult the princess's weight?" The crier asked, aghast if the angerspren coalescing was any indication. 

Adolin winced. Oh dear. Had he gone too far? 

"I am offend!" The princess shrieked. 

Evidently. 

"You have offended Her Highness again!"

Adolin wanted to cry. Or die. 

"_Very _offend!" 

He didn't want to see any more lighteyes, storm it! 

Except for Kaladin. Man got him a good tailor, and Adolin would happily follow him. 

"You better apologize." The crier said curtly. 

Then. The horror happened. 

"No apologize. Your boots!" 

Adolin froze in horror as he looked down at his custom made, silvery boots. 

Storms no- he had paid two emerald broams for the thing! 

"No! Absolutely _not! _I paid good money for these!" Adolin shouted, angerspren pooling around him. 

"Did you not hear Her Highness?" The crier asked primly, folding her arms. "Are soldiers of this Dalinar Kholin's army this disrespectful?" 

Confound Dalinar Kholin. "I paid good money for these, woman! I am _not_ giving her my boots." Adolin snarled. 

The half choked noise came again and Adolin whipped his head back to glare at Moash, who shut his mouth. 

"Insult!" The princess declared, stepping down from her horse and pointing at him. 

Adolin honestly saw red. Not figuratively, but even then, he would have seen red. 

"I don't storming care, woman. Come on Moash, we're leaving!" Adolin hissed, seething as he walked back to Dreamstorm. 

"I will tell all who listen! I will call Kholin 'stealer of boots and taker of women's virtue'!" 

Adolin froze and turned back to the princess, standing safely away from the horses, who smirked. 

"What did you say?" Adolin asked, gaping. 

The princess turned away, her face dramatic. "I will tell my house and clan, great poem! I will tell how you pin me down, strip me bare in the wilderness, ravage me like wild animal-" 

Adolin was sure his face was redder than the storming woman's hair. "Stormfather, stop it! I'll give you my boots! Stop!" 

He then stared mournfully at his boots. 

"Goodbye. I loved you two." Adolin whispered solemnly, taking them off and tossing it to the woman without facing her. 

He was honestly sure he would snap further if he looked at her. 

"Your apology is accepted." The crier said, fetching the boots. 

Adolin glared at her venomously, his blue eyes flashing. "It _better _be, by Damnation. Those were my best boots." He hissed, a little glimmer of satisfaction burning inside of him at her alarmed look. 

He then started climbing on Dreamstorm and rode her without so much as a glance backwards. 

* * *

Shallan was sure her heart hadn't stopped beating wildly. 

She hadn't worn the boots- she felt very mean and petty even looking at them. 

Tyn however, had no such qualms. She reached for the boots but Shallan slapped her hand away. 

"What?" Tyn asked, her voice injured. 

Shallan blushed. "It just feels...mean. I mean...those boots clearly meant a lot to him."

Tyn laughed. "Kid. You need to work on that niceness of yours, I swear. Anyways, he was just a fop. He clearly can't be doing badly for himself if he can own such nice boots." She said, reaching out for the boots but Shallan took them away and hugged them to her breast. 

"No." She said firmly. Tyn shrugged. 

"Fine. Your call- you earned those boots, anyway." 

Shallan didn't remark that she never deserved the boots. 

* * *

Kaladin glanced at Adolin walking with a clearly inferior pair of leather boots. 

He frowned.

Hadn't the captain been wearing a better pair of boots? 

Kaladin shrugged. It wasn't his business, anyway. Maybe Adolin just wanted to wear the first thing he got and put the other boots to washing? 

* * *


End file.
